When temperatures plunge and the air goes painfully still, people in northern forests sometimes hear a sharp crack that sounds like a gunshot. That eerie noise has fueled a viral claim that trees ...

Add Yahoo as a preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. As Oklahomans brace for the winter weather, some social media posts in recent days have warned of the chance for exploding trees.

Trees don't explode in cold temperatures, but they can develop a frost crack, or vertical fissure in the tree trunk.